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timeline
title Matter Evolution Timeline
2019 : Project CHIP announced
: Apple, Google, Amazon, Zigbee Alliance join
2020 : Protocol development
: Thread Group integration
2021 : Connectivity Standards Alliance formed
: Project CHIP renamed to Matter
2022 : Matter 1.0 released (October)
: First certified devices ship
2023 : Matter 1.1 and 1.2 released
: Refrigerators, ACs, robot vacuums added
2024 : Matter 1.3 released
: Energy management, EV charging
: Water management devices
2025 : Matter 1.4+ ongoing
: Cameras, doorbells, access control
1022 Matter Protocol Overview
1022.1 Matter: The Universal Smart Home Standard
NoteLearning Objectives
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
- Understand what Matter is and why it was created
- Explain Matter’s role in unifying the fragmented smart home ecosystem
- Navigate to detailed chapters on Matter’s architecture, transport options, and implementation
1022.2 Prerequisites
Before diving into this chapter, you should be familiar with:
- Thread Fundamentals and Roles: Thread is Matter’s primary mesh networking transport
- Wi-Fi Fundamentals and Standards: Matter also operates over Wi-Fi for higher-bandwidth devices
- IoT Protocols Overview: Understanding the IoT protocol landscape
NoteKey Takeaway
In one sentence: Matter is the universal smart home application layer that unifies Apple, Google, Amazon, and Samsung ecosystems, enabling any certified device to work with any platform simultaneously.
Remember this rule: Adopt Matter when you need cross-ecosystem compatibility (one device, multiple controllers), local control without cloud dependencies, or future-proof interoperability; use Matter bridges to gradually migrate existing Zigbee/Z-Wave devices without rip-and-replace.
1022.3 Introduction: The Smart Home Unification
Matter (formerly Project CHIP - Connected Home over IP) represents the most significant standardization effort in smart home history. Backed by Apple, Google, Amazon, Samsung, and over 550 companies through the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), Matter aims to solve the fundamental interoperability problem that has plagued smart homes for over a decade.
{fig-alt=“Timeline showing Matter evolution from 2019 Project CHIP announcement through 2025 Matter 1.4, highlighting key milestones including protocol development in 2020, CSA formation and Matter rename in 2021, Matter 1.0 release in October 2022, device category expansions in 1.1-1.3, and ongoing camera and access control additions in 1.4.”}
1022.4 What is Matter?
Matter is an application-layer protocol that defines:
- Data Model: How devices describe their capabilities (clusters, attributes, commands)
- Interaction Model: How devices communicate (read, write, subscribe, invoke)
- Security Model: How devices authenticate and encrypt (CASE, PASE, certificates)
- Commissioning: How devices join networks (QR codes, NFC, manual codes)
- Multi-Admin: How multiple controllers share device access (fabrics)
Matter is NOT:
- A wireless protocol (it uses Thread, Wi-Fi, or Ethernet)
- A replacement for Zigbee/Z-Wave (though it competes with them)
- Cloud-dependent (local control is mandatory)
- A single company’s proprietary standard
1022.5 Matter’s Position in the Protocol Stack
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graph TB
subgraph Application["Application Layer"]
A1[Matter Data Model]
A2[Matter Interaction Model]
end
subgraph Security["Security Layer"]
S1[Matter Security<br/>CASE/PASE]
end
subgraph Transport["Transport Layer"]
T1[UDP/TCP]
end
subgraph Network["Network Layer"]
N1[IPv6]
end
subgraph Link["Link Layer Options"]
L1[Thread<br/>802.15.4 + 6LoWPAN]
L2[Wi-Fi<br/>802.11]
L3[Ethernet<br/>802.3]
end
A1 --> A2
A2 --> S1
S1 --> T1
T1 --> N1
N1 --> L1
N1 --> L2
N1 --> L3
style Application fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
style Security fill:#E67E22,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
style Transport fill:#2C3E50,stroke:#16A085,color:#fff
style Network fill:#2C3E50,stroke:#16A085,color:#fff
style Link fill:#7F8C8D,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
{fig-alt=“Matter protocol stack diagram showing five layers from top to bottom: Application Layer (Matter Data Model and Interaction Model in teal), Security Layer (Matter Security with CASE/PASE in orange), Transport Layer (UDP/TCP in navy), Network Layer (IPv6 in navy), and Link Layer Options (Thread with 802.15.4/6LoWPAN, Wi-Fi 802.11, or Ethernet 802.3 in gray). Arrows show data flow from application through to physical transport.”}
1022.7 For Beginners: Understanding Matter
TipWhat Problem Does Matter Solve?
The Smart Home Compatibility Nightmare:
Imagine you have three smart home devices: - A Philips Hue light bulb (works with Hue app, requires Hue Bridge) - A Samsung SmartThings sensor (works with SmartThings app, requires SmartThings hub) - An Eve door sensor (works with Apple Home, requires Apple HomePod)
Each device speaks a different “language” and needs its own translator (hub). They can’t talk to each other directly, and you need three different apps to control them.
Matter’s Solution:
Matter is like creating a universal language that ALL smart home devices speak. With Matter: - Any Matter device works with ANY Matter controller (Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit) - No proprietary hubs needed (just a Thread Border Router, often built into smart speakers) - One setup process that works the same way everywhere - Devices from different manufacturers can work together seamlessly
TipFor Kids: Meet the Sensor Squad!
Matter is like teaching all your toys to speak the same language!
Imagine Sammy the Smart Sensor has a big problem. He just moved to a new house where there are lots of smart toys, but none of them can talk to each other!
Lila the Light Bulb only speaks “Apple.” Max the Motion Detector only speaks “Google.” And Bella the Doorbell only speaks “Amazon.” When Sammy tried to say “Hello!” nobody understood him. It was like being at a party where everyone speaks a different language!
Then one day, a friendly wizard called Matter visited the house. “I can teach everyone a special language that ALL smart things understand!” said Matter. And that’s exactly what happened! Now when Sammy says “Someone’s at the door!” Lila can flash her lights, Max can check who it is, and Bella can ring - all working together like best friends!
| Word | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Matter | A special language that all smart home things can learn to speak |
| Smart Home | A house where lights, locks, and other things can think and talk to each other |
| Ecosystem | A family of smart things that work together (like Apple or Google families) |
| Controller | The “boss” that tells smart things what to do (like a phone or smart speaker) |
1022.8 Summary
TipKey Takeaways
Matter is an application-layer protocol, not a wireless technology–it runs over Thread, Wi-Fi, or Ethernet
Multi-admin is Matter’s killer feature: One device, multiple ecosystems, no conflicts
Thread is Matter’s preferred transport for battery devices due to mesh networking and ultra-low power
Matter bridges enable migration from Zigbee/Z-Wave without replacing existing devices
Local control is mandatory in Matter–cloud is optional, not required
All major platforms support Matter: Apple, Google, Amazon, Samsung, and open-source (Home Assistant)
Matter certification ensures interoperability: CSA testing guarantees cross-platform compatibility
1022.9 What’s Next
Continue your Matter learning journey:
- Matter: Solving Smart Home Fragmentation - Understand the problem Matter solves
- Matter Transport Options and Platforms - Learn transport selection and platform support
- Matter Protocol Simulation Lab - Hands-on experience with Matter concepts